Fertilizer and process of producing the same from rock minerals.



UNITED STATES; PATENT OFFICE."

Josnr rERrNo, or sosrolv; MASSACHUSETTS.

. rnnrrmzziaaivn rnooass or rrtonuonvc THE sans mom ROCK mmnmms.

1,111,490. No Drawing.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filea narchac, 1914. Serial no. 826,101.

Patented Sept. 22, 1914.

To all whom it may concern Be it'known that I, J OSE'F PERINO, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, and a resident of Boston,in the county of Suflolk and Stateof Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fertilizer and Processes of Producing the Same from Rock Minerals, of which the following is a specification;

This invention hasfor its object the chemical and physical alteration of primet e-11y dependent val rocks, which contain the mineral elements of plantifood, by artificial means, so as'to accomplish in a short time artificially those changes in the rocks which are performed by natural forces of water, salts and air. only in the course of long periods of time. Soil is-the product of such natural changes and forms the medium for bacteria and plant life; Vegetable growth is parupon the activity of certain bacteria, in the soil, which change the disintegrated rock particles into soluble and available plant food, Those artificial fertilizers which havebeen heretofore used, neg. le'ct the natural aid of 1 soil bacteria, and

create abnormal conditions in the soil with themselves. [A rational system of agriregard'to plant growth, and at the same time injure the bacteria and weaken the vigor and power of resistance of the plants culture, therefore, should provide primarily the real foundation of vegetative life, as regards both the soil bacteria and the plants. Hence the main purpose of fertilizing is to counteract the impoverishment of the land by crops, by'producing or maintaining artificially, according to theactual need, a soil with thoseproperties with which nature originally provided it. This is the main object of my invention. To this end", I have invented a. process which in a short time performs those rock alteratidns which na-' ture acco'm hshcs and em lov-means s1mi-' lar to those used by nature. Natures forces for rock disintegration are principally water, carbonic acid and salts dissolved in the infiltrating; water, but these operate slowly and imperceptibly,- gradually bring-- ing'about in centuries of time said alterationsinthe structure of minerals, as, for instance, in-the varitus silicates, which form the general constituents of all primeval rocks and the originalsource of every plant- 'food'and of every eflicient virgin soil.

Qf special valuefor plant life are pri marily the potash-containing primeval rocks, such as feldspar, granite, etc., and, secondarily, the non-silicates such as phosphate rocks, both of which minerals in their crude state havebut a slow fertilizing effect. My

process seeks to alter these minerals; in one acid or sulfuric acid gas at a fairly low temperature below 800 (3., and leave as a residue a base or basic (oxid having a' strong action on silicates still higher temperatures. Of the salts, I regard magnesium chlorid as theunost use ful on account of its efi'ectivenessand cheap ness,.and of the value of its base, MgO, as therefore state in plant food, .andl shall detail how my process may be practised by the use ofthissa'lt.

The formula 'ofmagnesium chlorid as a commercial product is MgC1,|-6H 0. On.

as magnesium chlorid, aluminum ChIOIId, alummumandpho-sphates at heating this salt, it liquefies in its water.

and begins to decompose or dissociate into HCl,.MgO, and H O ina small degree at the low temperature of about 120 C., its

decomposition gradually increasing as the temperaturerises untilabout 550 to 600 C. is reached, when all the water of crystallization (partly as HCl) is driven off, one part of the chlorin being fixed'in the remainder as magnesium oxychlorid. Now,

by passing water steam through the mass at the last mentioned or higher temperatures,

the remainder of'the chlorin is liberated as hydrochloric acid gas, especially if silicates be present, in which case the silicic acid tends to combine with the magnesium'ox'id. The residue at last consists of puremagnesia, MgO, which as a strong base and by its. special aflinity to aluminium 'oxid L (A1 0 at higher temperatures also tendsto,.disintegrate the silicates, after theHCl has finished its eflicient work on the latter by loosening the chemical structure of their mineral elements, thus converted to a small degree into soluble salts as calcium chlorid,

sodium chlorid and potassium chlorid. Thej.

- addition of such bases as magnesium-marbonate (MgCO and calcium carbonate (CaCO or other salts of the alkali and alkali earth group, may be useful for certain qualities of silicates. Furthermore, a hydration of the thus treated and transformed silicates can be performed by.

spreading water on the finished hot product, just enough to cool it, leaving a dry powder. The action of the HCl and and H 0 'uponfeldspar at higher temperatures is to break up or dissociate the chemical or molecular structure in various ways according to the different chemical compositions. of the feldspar; and it will be understood from 1 what I have stated that the described process imitates the forces of nature in breaking down the rocks, but in a more effective manner by shortening the time of action,the product being in a' zeolitic state.

' A further advantage of my present invention is that on account of the dissociaerals, and the mixture is fed through the heated by water gas or-other tion property of the salt used as an agent, such as magnesium chlorid, the same process can also'be efi'ectively employed for diSlI1- tegrating and transforming rock phosphate,

which consist principally of tricalcium phosphate. By the liberated HGl from the added MgCl at moderate temperatures, superphosphate and calcium v chlorid are produced at first, as will be readily conceived. A special feature, however, 1n .this case is that at higher rising temperatures the first-produced acid phosphate reacts on calcium chlorid in again liberating hydrochloric acid and forming either reverted phosphate, or restoring neutral phosphate of an apatitic nature, simultaneously trans-' kiln through increasing temperatures and then discharged.

I prefer to use waterga's as the fuel, as

I the carbonic'acid and steam are thus created in asimple way for supporting the work of disintegration by HCl and MgO.' The steam and carbon dioxid play a part in the process ofmolecular disintegration in some of the reactions. For instance, if oxychlorid v of magnesium ;(MgOCl be formed at the higher temperatures, the water will or, as will be subsequent decompose it completely to MgO and HCl. The action of the carbon dioxid upon. the silicates is similar, though in a smaller degree, to that of the HCl. In the event that water gas be not used as-a. fuel, exhaust steam maybe supplied to the kiln,

' y explained, steam from another source may be employed. Magnesiiun chlorid, as used, has a further. advantage because soluble magnesium salts, contained even-in traces in the water which infiltrates rocks, tend to replace lime, soda and potash by magnesia and lead to a steatitic change.

Preferably, in manufacturing commercial fertilizer, I heat a mixture of finely ground silicate rock and phosphate rock with the magnesium chlorid, so that, after the hydro chloric acid partly has acted upon the rock phosphate and has been liberated again as explained, it is able to perform a second action upon the silicates. As an example ofthe process, I may state the following Finely ground silicates (feldspar or the like) are mixed with finely ground phosphate rock (in the proportion to meet the practical need), and then I mix therewith 'magnesiiun chlorid, powdered, more or less dehydrated, or in solution, in the proportion of about 3 to 5 parts of the rock mixture to 1 art of the chlorid. The whole mixture is then passed through a rotary kiln or other suitable furnace, in the direction 'of' the rising temperatures, so 1 that the charge is heated to a fairly strong red heat (and further to a bright red heat ifneeded, i. e., 850? to 950 0.). For special-purposes the heat may be higher or lower, although I prefer not to havea heat which will fuse the mineral content of the rock. After the material has. been treated and then discharged, it. is preferably quickly cooled by s ra with cold water leavin a pow- ,d r, Z1The same time hydratiri g t he disintegrated silicates to a certain degree to produce a zeolitic state. The escaping steam may be utilized in Producing the water gas which is used as uel for the furnace, or delivered directly to the furnace if other fuel be'used. j Ifdesired, the step of treating the disintegrated product withwater may be omitted, and the product cooled in any suitable manner.

It will be apparent that there will escape from the kiln or furnace a certain amount magnesite to reproduce magnesium chlorid for use in the kiln. I should not consider a it a departure from my invention if magne-' site or dolomite (magnesian limestone) added to the mixture of rock minerals were fed into thereceiving end of the and HCl also introduced or any other means were used, for instance, ammonium chlorid (NILCI) to form MgC-l directly therein, 130

of free HCl. This may be absorbed by crude V instead of suppjlying the chlorid as such thereto. The gCl, also may be supplemented by any suitable alkali or alkali-earth salt, or partly replaced'by other salts with similar properties concerning. dissociatlon and action on silicates and phosphates under such conditions as described,-for instance, A1 01, Al (SO,) or mixtures of same with others such as CaCl, (or KCl) +Al (SO,), as alunite' A fertilizer produced as described can be mixed to advantage with any other suitable fertilizing material such as cyanamid, humus, etc., or with bacteria cultures, thus permitting the production of a standard fertilizer of universal applicability for the betterment of-any kind of soil.

What I claim is 1. A commercial fertilizer composed of a chemically-prepared intimate mixture of potash-containing silicate rock in a zeolitic state and rockphosphate converted into the formof afinely-divided neutral reaction product.

2. The hereindescribed process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in adding to and mixing with finel ground rock containing plant food, a salt 0 a strong mineral acid, said salt capable of dissociation into its acid and base below the temperature of 800 0., and then gradually eating said mixture to an elevated temperature in the presence of steam under atmospheric pressure, thereby dissociating said salt and unlocking the chemical. and physical structure of said rock without changlng materially the characteristic components of said rock.

3. The herein described process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in adding to and mixing -"with finely ground rockcontaining strong mineral acid capable of dissociation into its acid and base below the temperature of 800 C., gradually heatin such mixture to an elevated" temperature in the'pr'esen'ce ofsteam under atmospheric pressure, thereby d sintegrating sai of dissociation of said salt a1ded by steam,

rock by the products and treating the product of disintegration with sufiicient water to cool and. hydrate the same and leave a powder.

4c. The herein descr process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in tegrating said gradually heating to an elevated temperature, a mixture of finely ground potashcontaining silicate rock, rock phosphate and a salt of a strong mineralacid capable of dissociation into its acid and base below the temperature of 800 0., thereby disin- 7 rocks by the products of dissociation of said salt.

. gradually heatin 'phate and magnesium plant food, a salt of a atmospheric pressure,

' signature,

Witnesses: I

5. The herein described process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in gradually heating to an elevated temperature a mixture 0 finely ground potasheontaining silicate rock, rock phosphate and a salt of a strongmineral acid capable of dissociation into its acid and base below the temperature of 800 0., thereby disintegrating said rocks by the products of dissociation of said salt aided by steam underatmospheric pressure. a

6. The herein described process of making a. commercial fertilizer which consists in to an elevated temperature a mixture 0 finely ground potash containing silicate rock, rock phosphate and a salt of a strong mineral acid capable of dissociation into its acid and base below the temperature of 800 0., thereby disintegrating said rocks by the products of dissociation of said salt aided by steam under atmos heric pressure, and treating the product of disintegration with suficient water to cool and hydrate the same and leave a dry powder.

7. The herein described process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in gradually heating a mlxture of finely ground potash-containing silicate rock, rock phosphate andmagnesium chlorid to' an elevated temperature, thereby disintegrating said rocks by the.products of dissociation, acid and base, of said chlorid.

8. The herein described process of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in gradually heating a mixture of finely ground potash-containing s'licate rock, rock phoschlorid to an elevated temperature in the atmospheric pressure, thereby disintegrating said rocks by the products of dissociation. acid and base, of said chlorid aided by said steam.

9. The herein described process-of making a commercial fertilizer which consists in gradually heating a mixture of finely ground potash-containing silicate rock, rock phos-' phate and magnesium chlorid to an elevated presence of steam under temperature in the presence of steam under thereby disintegratingsaidrocks by the products of dissociation, a'cidfand base, of said chlorid aided by said steam, and treating the product of disintegration with suflicient water to cool and hydrate the same and leave a dry powder. In testimony whereof I have afiixed my in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEF rnnmo.

" Marcus B. Mar,

ganmnus E. Pianmo. 

